Peyton Manning believes every interception has a story. So, too, apparently, does a robbery.
When looking to amplify self-deprecation and his love for football, the Hall of Famer advanced to blowing up buildings, crawling through air ducts and chasing a helicopter in the reveal of the Manningcast schedule that opens on Monday night with the Broncos at Chiefs.
“The Heist” grew from a desire to change the broadcast dates since one conflicted with Peyton’s book club reading of his old playbooks. He enlisted brother and co-host Eli to break into the NFL offices and change the master schedule on commissioner Roger Goodell’s computer.
Why not just pick up the phone? An annoyed Goodell had long ago started sending Peyton’s calls to voicemail. So, the script with “2 brothers, 40 cameos and 0 clue” came to life.
“Peyton always has the perfectionist mentality. And the mandate is to go bigger and better,” Omaha Productions head writer DJ Gallo told The Denver Post. “This year, there were like six pitches, and we settled on a mini-action movie. Both Peyton and Eli grew up watching a lot of movies. They are all about football. But they definitely know movies, so they liked the idea.”
It was on Gallo to pull it together. The first two schedule reveals worked well — auditions centering on finding a third Manningcast member and Manning the musical filmed at Kent Denver School’s Anschutz Theater — but this represented a bigger undertaking. Rather than seven months, they had a 16-month lead-up.
It provided time and multiple opportunities to add players and coaches at the NFL meetings and Pro Bowl. And it opened up a chance to bring in more Hollywood stars.
“We very much lean on Peyton. Everyone has such respect for him,” Gallo said. “He tells them the idea, how much time we need and they want to participate.”
The Mannings had shown they can turn their dry wit into comedic gold with athletes. This project found its sense of humor from Anne Hathaway as a foul-mouthed getaway driver of a van with the Mannings picture on the side, a bumbling Paul Rudd, too good-looking Jon Hamm and an irritable Larry David.
David delivered perhaps the movie’s best zinger, going full He let Peyton and Eli know their plan stunk — “You forgot the night watchman, what a bunch of blithering idiots!” — and called their commercial presence “ubiquitous.”
Eli thanked him.
“That wasn’t a compliment,” Peyton corrected.
The result is a smooth-moving adventure of follies. It includes father Archie aborting a helicopter rescue.
“We went down to New Orleans for that one, and he is so great,” Gallo said. “We give him the lines and he bangs them out.”
Gallo enjoys working with current and former athletes because they are used to being coached. Spoiler alert: The Mannings, clumsy as they were, succeeded in getting the schedule tweaked to fit Peyton’s needs.
“Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli” will appear on 11 regular-season games and, for the first time, the Super Bowl.
“These reveals are positive and fun. That is the tone of the Manningcast with athletes, actors and musicians. People who love the NFL,” Gallo said. “We hope these reveals give off that vibe in a different way of what we want the Manningcast to be.”
